Razor blade receptacle



April 7, 1956 P. R. BREAZEALE 2,741,838

RAZOR BLADE RECEPTACLE Filed June 28, 1952 [r venfor Paf R. Breazea/e i5 ffor'ngy United States Patent RAZOR BLADE RECEPTACLE Pat R. Breazeale, Jacksonville, Fla. Application June 28, 1952, Serial No. 296,180

4 Claims. (Cl. 30-40) My invention relates to receptacles for used razor blades, and particularly to receptacles for Gillette type double edged blades.

An object of my invention is to provide a receptacle for used razor blades into which used blades may be freely inserted but from which they will not escape.

Another object of my invention is to provide a used razor blade receptacle adapted to lift a used blade from the razor and deposit such blade in a chamber without exposing a cutting edge.

Although double edged safety razors are preferred by many persons to the single edged injector razors, the latter type has found favor in that less handling of blades is required. Recently, new blade dispensers have been made available which will supply a new blade directly to the open head of a double edge type safety razor without handling of the exposed blade. The proposal of the used blade, however, is still a problem, although suggestions have been made for grippers which serve as a tool to contact the blade and lift it from the razor. The blade may then be transferred to a container. Such grippers do not eliminate the dangers of handling, however, tend to be expensive in manufacture, and require a separate special type of receptacle which will remove the blade from the gripper. Receptacles for used blades have also been suggested which will remove blades from the razor head directly into the receptacle, but these have been complicated and expensive in construction, difficult to use, or adapted only for special razor or blade designs.

Accordingly, my invention has for .its particular object the provision of an inexpensive used blade receptacle for common types of double edged blades and razors which will completely guard the cutting edges of a blade while it is being removed from the razor, which will finally and completely dispose of the used blade in one swift continuous motion, which may be readily combined in a compact unit with a new blade dispenser, and which will house the used blades in a position such that there is little or no chance of a blade falling out or escaping therefrom.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the 2,741,838 Patented Apr. 17, 1956 razor and combined dispenser and receptacle of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the dispenser and receptacle taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a partially sectional view showing the picking up of a used blade by the receptacle of Figs. l-3; Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of a modified receptacle construction; Fig. 6 is a sectional end view of the receptacle of Fig. 5 taken along line 6-6; and Fig. 7 is a sectional end View of a portion of a receptacle and dispenser showing details of a modified side wall construction.

Fig. 1 of the drawing shows a double edged safety razor 1 of one type with which a receptacle in accord with the particular embodiments of my invention herein described is useful. The head 2 of razor 1 is open to expose a used blade 3. The combined dispenser and used blade receptacle 4 is aligned to be advanced to receive the used blade along guiding and guarding channels 5. The open forward ends of the guide channels may he slipped under the blade 3 lifting the end 6 of the blade. Thereafter continuing the forward motion of the dispenser and receptacle, the blade travels up the guide channels 5, the end 7 being still held to the razor by a post 3 such as is normally provided in razor heads for the purpose of positioning the blade therein. As the leading or forward ends of the channels 5 reach the end 7 of the blade, the blade is finally lifted clear of the post 8 and is held entirely within the guide channels. Thereafter, by tilting the dispenser and receptacle into a position with the channels extending vertically upward, the blade, under the preferred operating conditions of my invention, will fall free- 1y back into a receptacle chamber 9 having an inclined lower wall.

The receptacle, in Fig. 2, is seen to comprise a body portion 10, conveniently fabricated of molded plastic, which serves to form a bottom wall of a new blade dispenser 11 and a top wall of the used blade receptacle chamber 9, and further serves as a base to which metal cover members 12 and 13, of the dispenser and receptacle, respectively, may be attached. It will be recognized that the dispenser portion of the combined device is in accord with known dispenser construction, and no further description thereof seems necessary. The intended operation of the dispenser to dispense new blades 14 alternately from opposite ends is not affected by the provision of the used blade receptacle in accord with my invention.

The chamber 9 of the used blade receptacle comprises a back wall 15, which, in the preferred embodiment, is formed as part of the base member 14 a front wall 16, and a lower inclined Wall formed by cover member 13. Member 13 completely spans the rearward half of the chamber, but is cut out toward the front to form channels 5. The inclination of the bottom wall is such that a blade resting on this wall, if thrown forward in the chamber, toward the left as seen in Fig. 2, will strike the front wall 16 above the shoulder 17 ridge and will not escape from the chamber by passing below the wall 16. A hump or bend at 18, exaggerated for the sake of clarity, is formed in the bottom wall forward of the center of gravity of a blade in the chamber 9. It has been found that, even without shoulder 17, no amount of ordinary tilting or mrning of the receptacle will cause a single blade, or any one of several blades, in the chamber to start out of the chamber between the wall 16 and the channels 5'. If desired, accordingly, the shoulder 17 may be omitted, although its inclusion may be somewhat helpful in preventing blades from starting out of the chamber under severe shaking thereof.

The chamber may be designed to hold, when full, the same number of used blades as there are new blades originally housed in the dispenser. Assuming that ten blades are sold in the dispenser, the channels should be so in clined, and the position and extent of the bend 18 should be such, that with nine used blades in the chamber, resting against the upper wall, atenth blade may enter along the channels and clear the shoulder 17, or the bottom end of wall 16 if no shoulder is provided, without being bent. To accomplish this proportionment, it will be found desirable that the wall 16 should have a height at least equal to about one and one-half times the combined thickness of the total number of blades to be housed. If the distance separating the lower end of wall 16 and the supporting faces of the channels 5 is made just sufficient freely to pass a blade entering the chamber, the wall 16 need be least high, and the bend at 18 may be the least pronounced.

An additional precaution against the falling out of used blades, which is preferably provided whether shoulder 17 is or is not utilized, is comprised in a post 19 having a sloping end toward front wall 16 and a vertical end toward back wall 15. This post is preferably molded as a part of the base member 19 and is arranged to engage in the longitudinal slot commonly provided in double edged blades of the type particularly contemplated herein. Operation of post 19 in connection with the blades is later considered in connection with Fig. 4.

In removing a blade 3 from the razor, the ends of guide channels 5 are inserted between the shoulders 29 and the portion 21 of the razor head. The blade end 6 is thus lifted as the blade shoulders ride along the supporting surfaces 22 of the channels, while the upturned sides 23 I a of the channels serve both to guide the blade against transverse misalignment and to shield the cutting edges of the blade.

As seen in Fig. 3, the used blade chamber may have side walls 24 formed with base member 10. The lower edges of these side walls preferably accord with the inclined shape of the lower wall member 13, and member 13 may fit closely against the lower edges of walls 24 and be bent over the outer sides of the walls to terminate in an attaching crimped portion on each side of the device. The top cover member 12 of the dispenser may extend over suitable supporting rib 25 and be crimped, with the crimps of the lower member 13, into a shallow groove formed in a projecting portion 26 of the plastic base member, thereby firmly to fasten together the base and upper and lower metal cover members. This construction is such as to minimize the chance of blades within the chamber becoming caught in joints, which might interfere with the intended motion of the blades.

The relative positions of some other portions of the dispenser and receptacle are readily determinable from razor head 2 is demonstrated in Fig. 4 which discloses the entering end 6 of the blade in contact with the forward sloping end of post 19 while the other end 7 of the blade is still held by a post of the razor head. While the blade has progressed up channels-5 without resistance to the point shown, further insertion of the blade into chamber 9 will result in slight bending of the blade. This bending will occur between shoulder 17, or the lower end of wall F 16 if no shoulder is provided, the bend 18 in the wall member 13, and the lower peak of post 19. The bending of the blade will continue until post 19 enters the longitudinal central slot 27 of the blade, and thereafter the blade cannot be further removed from the chamber with- 4 out intentional eiforts with tools or destruction of the device.

The position of post 19 is such that the end 7 of the blade will remain on the razor post until the slot 27 has received the post, and the necessary force to bend the blade during its travel fromthe position shown in Fig. 4 until the post 19 has entered the slot 27 is provided through the razor post which is identified as post 8 in Fig. l but which is not visible in Fig. 4. The entrance of post 19 into slot 27 should correspond approximately with the reaching of the end 7 by the ends of the channels 5 and also to the final slipping of the blade from the razor post. During the motion of the receptacle just after engagement of the channels 5 under the blade 3 and until the blade is completely within the channels and removed from the razor post, the receptacle may conveniently rest uponthe top of a centering bar 28 of the razor head, whereby the receptacle is steadied and guided across the razor head in the proper relation thereto.

After the post 19 has entered slot 27, and while the cutting edges of the blade are within and guarded by the channels 5, except for the end already in the chamber 9, the receptacle should be tilted to point the channels upwardly. The blade then freely drops by gravity into the chamber 9, a slight tap or jar being sometimes necessary if other blades are within the chamber, but no further force will be required.

In addition to the post 19 or the shoulder 17 hereinabove described or instead of either or both of them, a'

leaf spring 29 may be provided as shown in Fig. 5. In the modified construction here shown, a metal lower cover member 30 is arranged to provide as before an inclined lower wall for the used blade chamber, but this member is bent upwardly to form a back wall 31. The leaf spring 29 may comprise one or more tabs bent inwardly from the upper end of the wall and into the general shape disclosed, while the remainder of the wall 31 may abut the upper wall 32, formed by plastic base member 33, or may have a short crimp biting into the plastic at the base of a shallow projection ridge 34. The forward wall 35 of the used blade chamber may be generally similar to the forward wall of the chamber of the earlier described embodiment, but it is shown as having no shoulder at the blade entrance slot. Channels 36 are fashioned as before from the metal lower cover member 30 and a bend 37 is also provided in the bottom wall of the chamber forward of the center of gravity of a housed blade.

Upon entering the chamber of the receptacle of Fig. 5, the first blade will meet no resistance until its leading end reaches spring 29. The position of the spring is such that this will not occur until the trailing end of the blade is protected within channels 36. Thereafter, a slight pushing of the blade, the force being applied between the channels without danger from the cutting edges, will cause the blade to deflect the spring. As the trailing edge finally clears the bottom corner of theforward wall 35, it will pivot about bend 37 to lie flat against the major inclined face of the bottom wall disposing the trailing end of the blade opposite the wall 35. Any movement of the blade toward the left of the chamber as seen in Fig. 5 would thus only cause the end to strike the wall 35 and would not result in escape of the blade.

The next blades entering the chamber are forced in, after the leading end reaches the bend 37, to raise the previously housed blade over a short distance. The amount of force required in any event will be very slight, however, since the spring need be sufliciently strong only to maintain the ends of the housed blades against the lower wall of the chamber. As explained in connection with Fig. 4 above, force necessary to cause the blade to enter far enough to be within the guarding channels may be supplied through a post of the razor head.

' The cross sectional end view of Fig. 6, taken along line 66 of Fig. 5, shows a modified side construction which reduces the chance of a housed blade becoming lodged or caught in a joint along the bottom wall. In the arrangement of Fig. 5, such lodgement would interfere with the introduction of further blades into the chamber, and it will be seen that the spring 29 of the device of Fig. effectively prevents blades from reaching a position in which they might become lodged at the upper wall 32. A joint at the upper wall is not objectionable in this arrangement. Accordingly, the lower wall or cover member 30, in Fig. 6, is bent upwardly to terminate inwardly of ridges 38 formed in the plastic base member 33. A satisfactory fastening at the uppermost ends of the upturned sides may be accomplished by sharp projecting teeth in the end wall portions or in the side wall portions of the lower wall member 30, or by a sharp outward crimp along the edges of the side wall and end portions engaging the ridges 38 of the plastic base. The upper cover member 39 may be crimped over a projecting portion 40 of the plastic base member to be attached only to this base member.

A further alternative construction is shown in Fig. 7 wherein the upwardly extending side wall 41 of the lower cover member is flared outwardly at its upper edge and is crimped between the lower edge 42 of the upper cover member to a projection 43 of the plastic base.

While the constructions of Figs. 6 and 7 are suitable for the modification according to Fig. 5, wherein the spring maintains the blades against the inclined major portion of the lower wall, these constructions are not particularly suited to the arrangement of Figs. 1-4 wherein catching of the blades in the used blade chamber against the upper wall of this chamber is particularly to be avoided. If the joints are closely fitted, however, the several side constructions can be substituted one for the other in any desired one of the arrangements as dictated by convenience, sturdiness, appearance, or manufacturing cost.

The razor shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 is of a common type wherein longitudinal motion of the blade, as the end 6 is lifted, is prevented by a post 8 extending into a'cutout portion of the blade near the end 7. The proportionment and arrangement of the devices herein disclosed is particularly adapted for use with a razor so designed. Devices in accord with my invention may be used to remove blades directly from razors having other provisions for holding an end of the blade, however, and it is contemplated that instead of post 8, for example, a post or shoulder may be provided on the razor head to extend, when the razor head is open, upwardly across the end 7 of the blade. Such member for abutting the end of the blade might take the form of a post, plate, ridge or shoulder, or the like, extending upwardly from portion 21 of the razor head as seen in Fig. 2. Such an abutment for the extreme end 7 of the blade would make possible the shortening of channels 5 and a repositioning of the post 19 toward the back wall 15 of the receptacle chamber, since such abutment would remain in contact with the end of the blade throughout a greater travel of the receptacle across the head.

It is not essential to the advantageous use of a receptacle in accord with my invention that the channels 5 be arranged to remove the used blade from the razor head directly, and even if the channels are reduced in length or eliminated, the receptacle may receive blades inserted into the chamber from a finger grasp. In case only manual insertion of the blades into the receptacle is contemplated, it is desirable so to position the post 19 toward the back wall of the chamber that only the last part of the motion into the chamber need be forced. With very short guard channels 5, the cutting edges of the blade will be guarded during this last part of the motion. The arrangement of Fig. 5 is useful in this type of application in that the spring will offer very little or no resistance to the insertion of a blade until the trailing end of the blade d has nearly cleared the shoulder or lower end of the forward chamber wall 35.

It will be further understood that, while the construction of the combined dispenser and receptacle described herein utilizes metal and molded plastic, all, or any part of, the device may be made of molded plastic or metal or of any other desired material, such as wood, cardboard, glass, or the like.

While I have shown only certain preferred embodiments of my invention by way of illustration, many modifications in addition to those suggested above will occur to those skilled in the art, and I therefore wish to have it understood that I intend in the appended claims, to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A receptacle for used longitudinally slotted razor blades having a blade entrance slot entering into a chamber through a lower part of a front wall of said chamber, said receptacle comprising a pair of guide channels for scooping a used blade lying in exposed position in a razor from said razor and for guiding said blade into said entrance slot, a bottom wall for said chamber, said bottom wall being shaped to form a ridge and a rearward portion extending downwardly from said ridge, said ridge being approximately parallel to said slot and forward of the center of said chamber, and said rearward portion being inclined downwardly, to support a blade resting freely on said ridge and rearward portion with its forward end above said slot, and a post-like member extending downwardly within said chamber to a position adjacent said ridge, the lower end of said member being sufiiciently low to engage and deflect a portion of an entering blade while such blade is disposed in said entrance slot and on said ridge, said member being proportioned freely to fit within the longitudinal slot of said blade.

2. A receiver for longitudinally-slotted razor blades comprising a walled enclosure, said enclosure having a blade entrance slot extending through a wall portion of said enclosure, a lower wall having an inner upwardly inclined portion adjoining said slot, said slot and said upwardly inclined lower wall portion defining a blade entrance path inclined toward the upper interior portion of said enclosure, and a protrusion extending downwardly in said interior engageable in the slot of an inserted blade entering along said path, said protrusion terminating downwardly above a lower portion of said interior of said enclosure whereby inserted blades fall freely into said lower portion.

3. A receiver for used longitudinally slotted razor blades comprising a generally rectangular enclosure, said enclosure having a flat top and having an upright wall with an elongated transverse blade inlet opening in its lower portion, a downwardly extending projection extending from said top located within said enclosure and having a lower end at substantially the level of said inlet opening to engage within the slot of an entering blade, and a bottom having a ridge portion, said ridge portion being positioned between said wall and said end of said projection, and said ridge portion being positioned not lower than within the distance represented by the thickness of one blade below both said lower end and said opening, said bottom having a portion remote from said opening and beyond said ridge inclined downwardly from said ridge.

4. A disposal device for removing used longitudinally slotted double edged razor blades from a razor and for housing blades so removed, said device comprising a hollow receptacle having a top wall, a bottom wall and a slotted front wall, said front wall slot being located along the lower portion of said front wall adjacent and parallel to said bottom wall and being proportioned to receive a blade to be housed, a pair of guide channels extending outwardly from the front end of said receptacle in a direction generally parallel to said bottom wall and oriented to direct a used blade into said slot, said channels, slot and bottom Wall determining an entrance path for blades entering said receptacle, and a projection extending downwardly from said top wall within said receptacle positioncd and proportioned to intersect and deflect downwardly a portion toward the leading end of a blade entering along said path and to enter said longitudinal slot of the blade as said entering blade passes further into said receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Todd Feb. 10, Illmer Feb. 28, Rneger Oct. 13, Benjamin Apr. 25, Testi May 18, Santo June 9,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany June 2, 

